The present invention relates to a rare gas polarizer apparatus and a magnetic resonance imaging system for producing a rare gas in a hyperpolarized state, and conducting imaging using the rare gas.
In recent years, a magnetic resonance image is acquired with high sensitivity with a rare gas isotope such as xenon (Xe), helium (He) etc. in a hyperpolarized state absorbed in a subject by inhalation or injection. To bring the rare gas to a hyperpolarized state, a rare gas polarizer apparatus is employed.
The rare gas polarizer apparatus brings a rare gas isotope to a hyperpolarized state in a high temperature cell, and then solidifies only the rare gas in a hyperpolarized state by sublimation of the rare gas in a thermostatic bath containing liquid nitrogen under a high magnetic field environment to extract only the rare gas. The solidified rare gas is then vaporized by warming, and inhaled by the subject (for example, see Patent Document 1).
At that time, the vaporized rare gas in a hyperpolarized state is accumulated in a gas bag, vial or the like, and then inhaled by the subject from the outlet of the bag or vial.